An Appeal Addressed To UFBU

Sri S. K. Bandlish,
National Convenor,
UFBU,
Chandigarh

Dear Sir,

On some of the facts & issues, though well in your knowledge in more authentic way and in bankers domain, we would like to invite your kind attention & reiterate our views as under:

1. During 10th Settlement negotiations when 2 days strike call was decided against IBA offer of 9% hike, one of your Unions advanced an idea to defer strike, since IBA increased offer to 11%, and return to negotiating table. However, it was not agreed to by other Unions and strike was held. This time again some your constituents has issued satisfaction note on 9% increase because in money term it was higher  than the 10th settlement. We do not want to nail the economic contents of their calculations. However, such advisory shouldn't have been issued. Hope, no such repeatations are made now onward.

2  In last settlement, most of big Unions had the consensus on 13% increase, but some Unions disagreed to it and thus issue advanced and somewhere 15.5% increase was clinched. It was still short of possibilities in store, that later surfaced while deciding LIC increase. You must take a lesson from your past errors and shouldn't be in haste in taking final call.

3. You all had agreed in 10th settlement, to some Special Pay delinked from Pension calculations. Another distortion alike to 1616/1684 was thus committed again. In ensuing settlement this must be corrected from retrospective effect. Please don't term it as 'aberration', since it was done deliberately & with full conscience. Further, ensure no more dent to Pension scheme, just to put few more coins in service employees pockets or protect Bankers interest at the cost of Pensioners rights.

4. You all had agreed to ink Joint Notes dated 25.5.2015 with IBA which among other things, denied contractual relationship of Pensioners, which they have with their respective Banks. It was totally against the 'legal relationship' enshrined in Pension Agreement, 1993 & Regulations, 1995. However, after signing this Joint Notes, you didn't turn up further to take stock of development in issues mentioned in Joint Notes. Again there is dilly-dally in Pension revision matter. It must end up to keep record straight that you no more compromise with post retirement financial security of employees & officers.

5. The indifferent attitude and endeavors have abundantly been displayed by you and your constituents towards Pensioners. What to say of strengthening Pension Scheme, in past no opportunity was left unturned to dent it and weaken. Please stop it hence forth. Since RBI pension is Revised, modelities are settled, please take up Pension Revision issues to clinch a settlement in this regard. Please bear in mind appreciate the fact that wages & pension are not twin different issues, rather two side of the same coin. One side represents in-service people, while other post service people. Wellbeing of both sides has to be preserved & strenghtened. But, in practice so far nothing could be done for other side. It is not a neglect, but apathy and breach of trust by Unions with their over 4.5 lakh ex-members.

6. Your constituents are in Welfare Committees of Banks. You and your constituents are aware of Government directive with regard to Welfare Funds uses. Government directive says to spend welfare funds on retirees in unambiguous terms. As apex Organization of your constituents, you be aware of schemes on which entire funds are being spent! Hope,  you know, it starts from morning news papers, breakfast, tea, coffee, lunch, snacks, dinner, holiday homes, scholarship and ends up at funerals for top executives to down level functionaries. Is there any scheme that benefits Retirees? Just please tell for name sake, if you know one of such! Before Mediclaim Insurance Scheme, all Banks were spending some amount on Medical help to retirees, but that too had been stopped after your new scheme. You all had failed to gauge the havoc that your scheme was going to play in future. See now, 5th premium is increased by 5 fold, 60% people dropped out, since they couldn't afford premium and you all remain silent spectator. Now you are begging subsidy, reduction in premium, loans etc. Begging itself reflects your helpless condition. It's your own creation, which totally damaged the format of health care scheme of retirees. Still, you all are not thinking of alternate or making any attempt therefor. Banks just can't leave retirees in death tunnel and absolve of their responsibilities. They can't do it, particularly in the backdrop of Welfare Funds and Govt guidelines in that regard.

7. For your knowledge we would like to mention that a couple of days back, biggest Blank, SBI has issued a circular to gift Sweets & Dry Fruits worth of Rs.1000/- per head on Diwali to all employees & officers from Welfare Funds. Why not to Retirees, if it comes from Welfare Funds? Further, how welfare funds spending is more legitimate on tea, snack, lunch, dinner of executives as against the medical needs of aging, ailing and dying retirees? Are executives really poorer than retirees? It's not at all fair spending, rather it is totally loot & plundering of Welfare Funds, quite against the aims and objects of welfare subject.

We sum up our submissions as under:

A. That, 11th Settlement must be reached anywhere between 17-20% increase, and not below, to reduce the gap between Banks' workforce and their counter parts in government.

B. That, Special Pay of 10th settlement, de-linked from Pension entitlement, should be merged in Pay from 1.11.2012.

C. That, Wages & Pension are taken as one issue and both are revised simultaneous.

D. That, Pension, Family Pension, ex- gratia should be revised on RBI terms & conditions.

E. That, Welfare Funds spending should be esteem lined, as per govt directive. Please ensure that WFs are spent equally on welfare of retirees in equal proportions.

F. That, minimum health security cover of Rs.2 lakh should be guaranteed at Bank expense under welfare measure. This should no more be left on the shoulders of retirees. For higher cover, leave that to individuals, if they want additional insurance cover, to take & pay.

G. That, 100% DA issue must be resolved this time to bring old retirees at par with rest. One industry- one compensation is apex court decision and it must be honored by Banks.

H. That, last but not least, Retirees Unions should be included in UFBU, accorded a representative status, like in RBI. So far these Unions have not been recognized even by UFBU, how they can expect from IBA. Please include them for better atmosphere and understanding among operating workforce and ex- employees. This will help contain, counter & halt tirades & vilifications of Bank Unions and their worthy leaders. Retirees are free and under frustration. They are all time working in social media, posing serious threat to unity. They have in facts their unresolved issues, which they attribute to operating Unions.

As apex organization, UFBU is looked upon to play pioneering role to ensure no discrimination among banking fraternity with regard to their rights & privileges, pay & perks, welfare coverage. Here, Banking fraternity doesn't mean only in-service employees & officer, rather those as well who are superannuated and called retirees or Pensioners. Fundamentals of welfare mean the most needy one given first attention. Here in Banking situation is just diverse. Top executive is taken as poorest person to be given greater welfare coverage/ attention...& served with Executive Thali! Need of treatment and medical support to ailing ex-staff is of no consideration. This ugly scenario must be changed.

Hope, the issues raised above are given due consideration and the best possible decisions are taken in the over all interest of entire banking & its fraternity.

With Greetings,


(J. N. Shukla)
National Convenor,
Forum of Bank Pensioner Activists
PRAYAGRAJ

20.10.2019

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